Here is all you need to know about He Jie, Chinese runner under investigation as his video goes viral
The win of Chinese runner He Jie at the Beijing Half Marathon on Sunday has sparked ongoing investigations.
Two Kenyans and one Ethiopian runner appeared to have intentionally aided China’s He Jie in winning the race which is why the organisers of the Beijing Half Marathon are investigating the men’s division.
Who is Chinese runner He Jie as winner of Beijing Half Marathon is accused of fixing win in viral video
Dejene Hailu Bikila of Ethiopia and Robert Keter and Willy Mnangat of Kenya seem to be slowing down and making gestures in front of him to encourage him to pass and seize the lead in the last few hundred metres of the race.
The four competitors ran side by side the entire distance, but they broke away when the three Africans retreated to let He cross the finish line. In a tie for second place, the three Africans were only one second behind the Chinese runner who finished in 1:03:44 to take home the $5,000 first prize.
3 African Athletes let Chinese Runner, He Jie win the 2024 Beijing Half Marathon.
He finished first with a time of 1:03:44.
Dejene Hailu Bikila 🇪🇹, Robert Keter 🇪🇹 and Willy Mnangat 🇰🇪 finished second with a time of 1:03:45.
Willy said he let him win because he is his friend. pic.twitter.com/NoZAJ553G6
— Africa Facts Zone (@AfricaFactsZone) April 16, 2024
Meanwhile, following the incident, online users are asking for the result to be investigated. Many are even demanding action from the organistions. A user wrote: “These three runners rigged it so China’s He Jie would win the race.”
These three runners rigged it so China’s He Jie would win the race 😬 pic.twitter.com/sF5qI2ULtM
— non aesthetic things (@PicturesFoIder) April 16, 2024
Another wrote, “OK lads, what’s going on here? Three Kenyan athletes who were in the lead letting Chinese runner He Jie win the race during the Beijing Half Marathon on Apr 14, 2024.”
OK lads, what's going on here? Three Kenyan athletes who were in the lead letting Chinese runner He Jie win the race during the Beijing Half Marathon on Apr 14, 2024 pic.twitter.com/yhmEjYtIFm
— 𝔏𝔯𝔯𝔯 (@coldplague) April 15, 2024
The Beijing Municipal Sports Bureau and Chinese Athletics Association, the racing organisations stated that they were looking into the matter and the occurrence is under investigation.
Who is He Jie?
He Jie is a Chinese track and field athelte who was born on December 27, 1998 and is currently 25 years old. He has broken China’s marathon record twice in two years. He hails from northwest China’s Ningxia region and is one of the top prospect for the long distance runners.
As per men’s marathon by World Athletics rankings, the runner is currently ranked 77th in the world. The runner came into limelight for his controversial finish propelling investigation at the Beijing Half Marathon and the race is currently under investigation.
It is anticipated that he would lead the Asian runners in the next Summer Olympics in Paris, 2024. Not much is known about the runner as he has kept his personal life out of limelight.